NASA set for first crewed moon return in over half a century.

Artemis II is NASA's first crewed lunar test flight in more than 53 years, with liftoff scheduled for April 1 and an additional launch window opening April 30 for a roughly 10-day mission around the moon.

NASA is preparing to launch Artemis II, the agency's first crewed lunar test flight in more than 53 years. Three US astronauts and one Canadian will ride the Orion capsule atop the Space Launch System for about a 10-day flight that will loop around the moon and return to Earth. Liftoff is scheduled for April 1 with a launch period through April 6, and a later window opens on April 30. The mission is a key test of life support, crew interfaces, navigation and communications ahead of more complex Artemis missions. Key details: - Artemis II is the first crewed test flight in the Artemis program; the article reports the program has cost at least $93 billion since 2012. - The crew will include three US astronauts and one Canadian astronaut flying on Orion and SLS, which previously flew uncrewed in 2022. - The planned mission duration is about 10 days on a lunar flyby trajectory to test systems and operations at greater distances from Earth. - Launch timing: scheduled for April 1 with flexibility through April 6 for weather and checks, and an additional orbital window opening April 30. - The article describes follow-on missions: Artemis III (planned for 2027) aims to dock Orion with lunar landers from Blue Origin and SpaceX in Earth orbit, and the first crewed landing was shifted to Artemis IV by NASA administrator Jared Isaacman. - NASA is working with multiple private companies and analysts cited a PricewaterhouseCoopers estimate of $127 billion in potential lunar surface revenues by 2050; the article also notes rising international activity, including China’s advancing lunar program. Summary: Artemis II will test critical systems and crew operations during a lunar flyby and provide data that will inform timing and design of later missions. Planned next milestones include Artemis III in 2027 for an orbital docking with commercial landers and a first crewed lunar landing moved to Artemis IV; specific schedules will depend on test outcomes and program decisions.